Updating automatic access parameters for wireless local area networks

Abstract

Systems and techniques for keeping a mobile device up to date with respect to dynamic information necessary to identify and access the most suitable wireless network are disclosed. Such dynamic information includes device configuration update and wireless network selection policies update. Both device configuration data update and wireless network selection policies update includes wireless local area network (WLAN) automatic access parameters. The mobile device receives wireless network selection policies update whenever the mobile device changes location. At statically determined time slots, the mobile device receives device configuration update, followed by an additional wireless network selection policies update, which includes updated WLAN automatic access parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of a mobile device storing computer-executable instructions that upon execution cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
 receiving, at a statically predefined periodic time slot, a device configuration update for the mobile device from a first server that provides synchronous device configuration updates to a plurality of mobile devices, the device configuration update including a first set of wireless local area network (WLAN) automatic access parameters and a set of device configuration data that is unique to the mobile device; 
 in response to receiving the device configuration update from the first server that includes the first set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the set of device configuration data at the mobile device, triggering the mobile device to send a request to a second server that maintains location-based device configuration data to request set of network selection policies and a second set of WLAN automatic access parameters, wherein the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters comprises information used to authenticate the mobile device to each of a set of wireless networks; 
 receiving the set of network selection policies and a second set of WLAN automatic access parameters from the second server; 
 automatically selecting a wireless network from the set of wireless networks using the set of network selection policies; and 
 automatically accessing the selected wireless network using the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the set of device configuration data. 
 
     
     
       2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of WLAN automatic access parameters comprises protocol or authentication data for enabling the mobile device to access an additional wireless network. 
     
     
       3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the set of network selection policies comprises a list of wireless access points that are identified based on a current location of the mobile device. 
     
     
       4. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the first server is a service entitlement server (SES). 
     
     
       5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters is received prior to a selection of the wireless network from the set of wireless networks. 
     
     
       6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the set of device configuration data comprises device access network query protocol (ANQP) parameters based on device configuration extensible markup language (XML) file. 
     
     
       7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the second server is an access network query protocol (ANDSF) server. 
     
     
       8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the statically predefined periodic time slot is determined without regard to a location of the mobile device. 
     
     
       9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of WLAN automatic access parameters are different sets of Passpoint parameters. 
     
     
       10. A system comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of computer-executable components that are executable by the one or more processors to perform a plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising: 
 maintaining a plurality of separate sets of device configuration data, each set of device configuration data for entitling a mobile device to access one or more wireless networks; 
 transmitting, at a statically predefined periodic time slot from a first server that provides synchronous device configuration updates, a device configuration update to a mobile device that includes a first set of wireless local area network (WLAN) automatic access parameters and a set of device configuration data, wherein the set of device configuration data is unique to the computing device; and 
 in response to transmitting the device configuration update that includes the first set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the set of device configuration data to the mobile device, triggering, via the first server, a second server that maintains location-based device configuration data to transmit to the mobile device a set of network selection policies and a second set of WLAN automatic access parameters, wherein the second set of wireless local area network (WLAN) automatic access parameters comprises information used to authenticate the mobile device to each of a second set of wireless networks, 
 wherein the mobile device (i) automatically selects a wireless network from a set of wireless networks using the set of network selection policies and (ii) automatically accesses the selected wireless network using the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the set of device configuration data. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the statically predefined time periodic slot is determined without regard to a location of the mobile device. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first server is a service entitlement server (SES). 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the second server is an access network query protocol (ANDSF) server. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , further comprising determining whether there is a mismatch between the first set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters and modifying the first set of WLAN automatic access parameters to match the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the set of network selection policies comprises a list of wireless access points that are identified based on a current location of the mobile device. 
     
     
       16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving, at statically predefined periodic time slot, a device configuration update at a mobile device from a first server that provides synchronous device configuration updates to a plurality of mobile devices, the device configuration update including a first set of wireless local area network (WLAN) automatic access parameters and a set of device configuration data that is unique to the mobile device; 
 in response to receiving the device configuration update from the first server that includes the first set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the set of device configuration data at the mobile device, triggering the mobile device to send a request to a second server that maintains location-based device configuration data to request a set of network selection policies and a second set of WLAN automatic access parameters, wherein the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters comprises information used to authenticate the mobile device to each of a set of wireless networks; 
 receiving the set of network selection policies and a second set of WLAN automatic access parameters from the second server; 
 automatically selecting a wireless network from the set of wireless networks using the set of network selection policies; and 
 automatically accessing the selected wireless network using the second set of WLAN automatic access parameters and the set of device configuration data. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the set of device configuration data comprises protocol or authentication data for enabling the mobile device to access the selected wireless network. 
     
     
       18. The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the set of network selection policies comprises a list of wireless access points that are identified based on a current location of the mobile device. 
     
     
       19. The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the first server is a service entitlement server (SES). 
     
     
       20. The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the second server is an access network query protocol (ANDSF) server.